Conveyer and conveyer enclosure unit



J. HIRSHFELD Filed Feb. 1, 1929 CONVEYER AND CONVEYER ENCLOSURE UNIT July 30,

J. HIRSHFELD CONVEYR AND CONVEYER ENCLOSURE UNIT July 3o, 1935.v

Filled Feb. l, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 S Rd v.. O E mf/0&0?. m V l i mm m l wHY f v M m m Q e 2 4% ||I|x|ll| |||||l r 1 l l l r x l l I l l l 1 Il CI... :z :5:: H Mh( Wwui-L M i M a o 7 M M 0Y w 4 ,Mw @uw 9 4 .Q 089 9. i i w l /f C 2 0 1 y f ,1 Y d y July 30, 1935. J. HIRSH'FELD 2,009,846

CONVEYER AND CONVEYER ENCLOSURE UNIT Filed Feb. 1, 1929 3 sheets-sheet 5 Patented July 30, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE Jerome Hirshfeld, New York, N. Y., assignor to Televator Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 1,

10 Claims.

My present invention relates generally to a conveyer shaft or Well dening structure adaptable for installation in a building as a single independent unit and co-ordinately relates to a unit or assembly comprising a carrier well or shaft defining structure and conveyer apparatus contained and supported therein in operative associationtherewith for transportation, installation and removal as a unit.

Where it is desired to construct or install an enclosed dumbwaiter or conveyer apparatus, particularly in an already completed building, a great deal of construction work is generally involved, necessitating the employment of special labor, the selection of parts and materials for the construction of the shaft in which the dumbwaiter or carrier is to be received, the assembly of parts to form the dumb-waiter or carrier and its operating mechanism, and the installation thereof in the Well so provided. Furthermore, where such a construction is installed, it becomes infact a fixed part of the building with which it is associated so that neither the dimensions of the conveyer shaft nor its position can be changed or varied Without requiring demolition and construction work in connection with the building,v knocking down of the carrier and reassembling of the parts. l

It is an object of my invention to provide a dumb-waiter conveyer enclosing shaft defining construction which can be transported and installed in a building as a unit separate and apart from/the building, and which when installed can function in connection with the building as if it were originally installed therein as a structural part thereof, but which nevertheless readily permits of its being shifted from one part of the building to another or of its complete removal as a unit and without requiring any demolition of 40 said unit or of any part of the building.

Another object of my present invention is the provision of a portable enclosure to serve for deflning a shaft or well for receiving a dumb-waiter or carrier and which enclosure can be transported 45" as a unit for purposes of installation in a building, and which enclosure can be so dimensioned for purpose of transportation and preliminary installation as to be receivable between a floor and the ceiling immediately above, and which when 501 so received on the oor can then be extended upwardly through an opening in the ceiling so as to provide a well or shaft reaching from one floor to a floor or floors thereabove.

Another object of my invention is a provision of f` an assembly independent of a building Vwhich 1929, Serial No. 336,745

comprises a well or shaft enclosure for a dumbwaiter or carrier of carrier apparatus so associated therewith as to form therewith a single unit for purpose of transportation, installation and use.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a portable assembly unit comprising a dumb-Waiter or conveyer shaft defining enclosure and conveyer apparatus received therein and supported therefrom for conveyer operation, wherein the shaft defining enclosure can be lenthened or shortened without disassociating or affecting the relationship of the shaft defining enclosure and the conveyer apparatus which it receives within it and which it supports for operation.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a dumb-Waiter conveyer and a conveyer shaft forming unit assembly in which the shaft enclosure for the carrier or conveyer may be so dimensioned for purpose of transportation as to be receivable between the floor and ceiling of one story of a building and when so received can be extended so as to permit the shaft enclosure to extend through an opening in the ceiling to another floor without affecting the operative associations of the carrier apparatus with reference to the enclosure within which it is received and from which it is supported.

Another object of my invention is the provision of an assembly independent of a building of a well or shaft forming structure serving as a carrier enclosure, conveyer apparatus received therein for operative support thereby and an operating mechanism `also received therein for carrier operation, all as one unit for transportation and installation and carrier operation purposes.

In the embodiment of my invention herein disclosed, I have illustratedl my shaft defining structure as made up of a plurality of telescoping sections so as'to permit of the collapsing of telescopic sections. For convenience in handling during storage, transportation and installation, the sections are held collapsed, and for purpose of dumb-Waiter carrier operation the sections are held extended.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide with the telescoping shaft or Well defining sections and as part of the assemby, mechanism whereby the well forming sections can be extended or telescoped at will.

It is another object of my invention to provide in a portable unit comprising a self-contained shaft and carrier parts as element of the unit, of operating mechanism'for the carrier parts so located and positioned as to most advantageously effectuate the purpose and functions of the assembly as a readily transportable and installable unit.

It is a particular object of my present invention to provide in an assembly of the character above referred to that the dumb-waiter operating mechanism shall be positioned adjacent the bottom of the shaft dening enclosure, so as to add to the convenience and ease with which the assembly can be transported and installed.

It is a further and particular object of my present invention to provide in connection with the location of the dumb-waiter operating mechanism at the bottom of the well forming enclosure that the driving connection between the dumb-waiter and its operating mechanism shall be independent of the weight of the parts.

It is the general object of my present invention to provide as a unit assembled independently of and for installation in a building as a unit, a dumb-Waiter or conveyer and an enclosure therefor so that the installation of the dumb-waiter or conveyer requires nothing more than the transportation of the unit to its position in the building and the location and the iixing of this unit in such a position.

While reference is frequently made to the fact that my invention is particularly useful in connection with buildings already completed, it will be understood, of course, that it will serve useful functions in connection with a building in process of construction, and that in the latter event my unit assembly on one hand will give the appearance of being a part of the building construction and on the other hand will be shiftable therein and removable therefrom as a unit without in any way effecting or impairing or requiring any change in the building construction.

For the attainment of these objects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear and be pointed out, I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention in the drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation through a building illustrating the well forming unit in position;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the unit on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a similar section on line 3 3, Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4, Fig. 3, taken on a still larger scale,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 5 5, Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is a partial transverse section illustrating the devices employed for maintaining the sectional parts of the unit in position for use,

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the counter weight employed illustrating the manner in which the operating ropes are adjustably connected thereto,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a handle or tool employed for raising and lowering the sectional parts of the casing of the dumb waiter unit, and

Fig. 9 is a plan of the type of bolt employed for connecting the parts of the casing in operative positions.

Before I describe my invention in detail, I will premise that I have illustrated in the drawings a unit assembly which comprises (l) a casing or well to enclose a dumb-waiter and which is made up of telescoping sections so that it can be collapsed for purpose of transportation and can be extended for installation; 2) mechanism within and forming part of said assembly for extending and collapsing the dumb-waiter shaft sections; (3) the association with a dumb-waiter shaft enclosure of dumb-waiter parts associated therewith in operable relation; (4) motor-mechanism for operating the dumb-waiter parts.

In Figure 2 of the drawings, I have illustrated a shaft or enclosure for a dumb-waiter in collapsed transportable condition, and in Figure 1 have illustrated my enclosure installed in a building and extended so as to form a shaft reaching from one floor to another. In the illustrated embodiment, the enclosure comprises telescoping parts or sections for use in connection with a dumb-waiter for raising and lowering articles from one floor of the building to another. The outer part or section of this housing may be constructed to include a base I0 and side walls as indicated at I I, I2, I3 and I4, the upper end of this outer section being open.

As illustrated the unit is constructed to include an inner part or section of the housing unit, also made to include side walls as indicated at I5, I6, I'I and I8, together with a top member I9, the bottom or lower end of this inner section being open. The parts of the sections of the housing may conveniently be made of sheet metal and are preferably rectangular in cross section although, as will be understood, these parts may be made of any suitable material and of any necessary or desired cross section, as well as of the proper dimensions for suitable use in any desired place. In the upright corners between the walls of the outer section there are suitably secured angles 20 and in like manner on the outer upright corners of the walls of the inner section there are angles 2|. The angles 2| are adapted to fit within and slide upon the angles 20, these parts, therefore forming guide members for moving the sections of the casing to and from their operative positions. In some instances, however, I may dispense with the angles.

In order to permit the shaft or well forming structure of Figures l and 2 to perform its func-- tions in connection with the dumb-waiter parts contained therein as will be more fully set forth later on, each of the sections is provided with an opening for access to the dumb-waiter. openings are closed by the doors 89 and 90 shown in the drawings as mounted to swing horizontally. The doors 89 and 90 are positioned such a distance above the floors 38 and 39 as to permit convenient access thereto by a person standing on these floors.

The portable dumb-Waiter shaft of Figure 1 has associated therewith as aunitary part of the shaft assembly, suitable apparatus for convem'ently raising and lowering the nested upper section of the casing and for maintaining this section in raised position, and I have found that the location of this apparatus in the space between the bottom of the door 89 and the bottom of the lower floor section of the casing serves advantageously from a number of standpoints. I will now describe this arrangement.

At the lower end of the outer section of the casing there is mounted a shaft 22 and on the shaft 22 there is a drum 23. Beneath the shaft there is a series of rollers indicated at 24, 25, 26 and 2l. These rollers as illustrated are mounted on pins secured in a transverse and reversely placed channel iron 28. These members are employed in moving the inner section of the casing to position and to this end I also employ ropes 29 and 30. These ropes are wound on the drum 23 and the rope 29 passes under the pulleys 2l and 25 and between the walls I3 and Il, as well as over a pulley 3l xed in the wall I3 These L adjacent'the upper: end thereof and the rope 29 is then suitably connected to the wall I1 of the inner section of the casing adjacent the inner or lower extremity thereof. In a similar manner one end of the rope 30 is connected to the pulley 23 and this rope 30 passes under the rollers 26 and 21 through the space between the walls Il and I5 and over a pulley 32 which is suitably mounted in the Wall II, the opposite end of this rope 30 being connected to the wall I5 adjacent the inner or lower end thereof. On the shaft 22 exteriorly of the wall Il there is a circular rack 33 and as shown in Fig. 8 the apparatus may be provided with a tool constructed to include a handle 34, a socket 35 adapted to engage the outer extremity of the shaft 22 and a pawl 36 for engaging the rack 33 whereby the shaft may be turned to operate the drum 23 to wind the ropes 29 and 30 thereon, or to unwind the ropes therefrom. Although forming no necessary part of the invention this apparatus for lifting the inner section of the casing may include a suitable collar 31 mounted on the shaft 22 and secured to a cross bar 31' andcontaining a ring locking device of any expansion type whereby when the shaft22 has been turned to raise the inner section of the casing the same will be maintained in position, it being impossible for the shaft to turn in the opposite direction unless this expansion ring is released. It will be understood-that in setting up the unit for use the parts of the casing are nested and the outer part is made sufiiciently long to extend from` the floor to the ceiling in the room in which the apparatus is to be installed. In the installation the apparatus is, therefore, set on a floor I6, for example, in a position yin which it lies directly beneath an aperture in the ceiling and upper floor 39 whereupon by means of the handle 34, or a similar tool, the shaft 22 and drum 23 may be operated together with the ropes 29 and 36 to raise the inner section of the casing, causlng the same to pass through the aperture in the ceiling and floor 39 and to assume a position in an upper room.

From the description thus far given, it will be understood that my invention contemplates a unit assembled independently of a building of parts which, when in nested relation, permits the unit to be transported from place to place as a unit and which when extended permits the assembly to extend from one floor to another to serve to enclose the shaft or well for a dumbwaiter and which assembly includes openings necessary in connection with a dumb-waiter operation and also mechanism for extending and collapsing the assembly and for keeping it in either such position.

My invention further contemplates the inclusion as unitary elements of such assembly of dumb-waiter parts and operating mechanism therefor already positioned in their operative relationship to the well within which they are to function for dumb-waiter purposes so as to serve most advantageously for transportation and installation purposes. I will now describe the dumb-waiter parts, their operating mechanism and their relationship to the rest of the portable assembly.

In the lower part of the outer section of the casing there is a cross plate 40 suitably secured therein and forming a floor for a motor 4I and a.' service box 42. Secured in and extending upwardly from the floor 40 there are gudebars 43 and 44. Also secured at their lower ends in and extending upwardly from the floor 40 there are guide bars and 46. These guide bars are preferably square in cross section, although they are not limited to being so formed. Secured in and depending from the top wall I9 there are guide tubes 41 and 48 adapted respectively to receive' the guide bars 43 and 44 and also secured in and depending from the top wall I9 there are guide tubes 49and 50 adapted respectively to receive the guide bars 45 and 46.

Within the parts of the casing there is a car or carriage 5I. This car in suitable positions, preferably on oppositely disposed sides thereof, is provided with guide members 52 and 53 and 54 and 55. The guide members 52 and 53 cooperate with the guide bars and tubes 44 and 48 and the guide members 54 and 55 with the guide bars and tubes 43 and 41 for directing the movement of the car or carriage.

The car is raised and lowered by the motor 4I and suitable devices driven thereby for this purpose. To this end I employ a rope 56 connected at one extremity to an eye 51 in the lower part of the car 5I. The rope 56 passes over a drive pulley 58 mounted on a counter shaft 59. This counter shaft is journaled in suitable bearings 6U and 6I and is suitably geared to the shaft 62 oi the motor 4I. Associated with the car I employ a counter weight 63. The opposite extremity of the rope 56 is connected to the lower portion of this counter weight. Connected to the upper portion of this counter weight there is a rope 64 which passes over a pulley 65 mounted on a shaft 66 suitably journaled in bearings provided for this purpose in the side walls of the inner section of the casing and at its opposite end the rope 64 is secured in an eye 61 connected to the top of the car or carriage 5I. The counter weight is provided on the opposite sides thereof with guide members 68 and 69 and 'I0 and 1I. The guide members 68 and 69 cooperate-with the guide bar 46 and guide tube 50 while the guide members 19 `and 1I cooperate with the guide bar 45 and guide tube 49 in directing the upward and downward movement of the counter weight 63.

'Ihe counter weight end of the rope 56 is suitably secured in a' screw threaded sleeve 12 which passes through an opening provided therefor in the lower end of the counter weight. The counter weight is preferably hollow and the end of the sleeve 12 projecting therethrough is fitted with nuts 13 and a washer 14 whereby the tension on the rope 56 may be adjusted. In a similar manner the counter weight end of the rope 64 is connected to a screw threaded sleeve 15 which extends through an opening provided therefor in the upper portion of the counter weight 63. Interiorly of the counter weight this sleeve 15 is fitted with nuts 16 and a washer 11 by means of which the tension on the rope 64 may be adjusted. As will now be understood by the adjustment of the tension on the ropes 56and 64 the friction between the rope 56 and the drive pulley 58 may be readily made suflicient to effect the raising and lowering of the car Without any slip movement between these parts.

When the inner casing is raised to its opposite position it is preferably so maintained by means of a series of bolts 18. As shown in Fig. 4 one of these bolts may be placed in each of the corners and caused to pass through both the inner and outer sections of the casing in order to maintain these parts in position. kThe form of bolt employed is preferably a toggle bolt see Fig. 9,

having a shank 19 in the inner end of which Cil a toggle is pivotally connected, as indicated at 8 I. Each bolt, as will be understood, is passed through the apertures provided therefor in the sections of the casing while the parts of the bolt are in a straight line position and that after being inserted the toggle member by the action of gravity turns at right angles to the shank of the bolt and the bolt may then be drawn up to position by turning down a wing nut 82, or its equivslent, on the outer screw threaded end of the shank oi the bolt.

The apparatus may be tted with any suitable means for actuating the car or carriage to move the same up and down. Such apparatus, per se, however, forms no part ci' the present invention. As illustrated, `the lower section of the casing is provided with push buttons 83 and the upper section of the casing with push buttons 84 and these push buttons are connected by suitable leads to the service box 42 in order to turn on and ofi power from a suitable source to the motor 4i to raise and lower the car. rI'he car is arranged to automatically shut off the power when it reaches its lower position and the counter weight to shut off the power when it reaches its lower position in which the car is in its upper position. For example, as illustrated the car is provided with a contact 85 for opening the power circuit by means of a switch 8G when the car reaches the lower end of its travel while the counter weight is provided with a contact B which cooperates with a switch 88 to open the power circuit when the counter weight reaches its lower position and in which as aforesaid the car or carriage is then in its uppermost position. As will be understood access to the car is made possible when the car is in its lower position by means of a door 8B in the front wall ot the outer section of the casing while access to the car when in its upper position is provided by means of a door 9G in the front wall of the inner section of the casing.

It will therefore be understood that a particular feature of my unit assembly resides in the locution of the dumb-waiter motor-mechanism at the bottom of the shaft i rming casing so as to lower the center of gravity of the assembly and thus increase the ease and convenience with which the assembly can be transported and installed. This arrangement is permitted by the fact that the drive is from a pulley at the bottom of t e shaft and this, in turn, is permitted by the arrangement whereby the cables which connect the dumb-waiter and the weight can be adjusted so as to create a traction co-action between o Ae of the cables and the pulley at the bottom ci the shaft and thus enable this pulley to drive the dumb-waiter.

I claim as my invention:-

l. In a dumb waiter apparatus, a plurality of sections adapted to be normally nested and to be extended relatively to each other for use, a car movable in the said sections, and telescoping guide bars and tubes for directing the travel of the said car.

2. In a dumb waiter apparatus, a pluralityy of normally nested sections adapted to be extended to position for use, a car movable in the said sections when extended for use, a plurality' of guide bars, a plurality of guide tubes adapted to slide over the said guide bars, and means associatedwiththe car for engaging the said guide bars and tubes for directing the travel of the said car.

3. In a dumb waiter apparatus, a casing comprising an outer section and an inner section normally adapted to nest in the outer section and to be extended therefrom for use, a car movable in the said sections when extended, a plurality of guide tubes mounted in the said inner section, a corresponding number of guide bars mounted in the outer section and adapted to telescope with the said tubes, and means carried by the said car for engaging the said guide bars and tubes for directing the travel of the car.

4. In a dumb waiter apparatus, a plurality of normally nested sections adapted to be extended for use, a car movable in the said sections when extended, means including a counter weight for moving the said car, a plurality of telescoping guide members for directing the movement of the car, and a plurality of telcscoping guide members ior directing the travel of the said counter weight.

5. In a dumb waiter apparatus, a casing cornprlsing an outer section and an inner section adapted to normally nest in the outer section and to be extended therefrom for use, a car movable in the said sections when extended, devices including a counter weight for moving a car, a pluraiity of tubes mounted in the said inner section, a corresponding number` of bars mounted in the outer' section and telcscoping with the said tubes, means associated with the car for engaging the said tubes and bars [or directing the travel of the car, a second set of tubes mounted in the said inner section of the casing, a second set of bars mounted in the outer section of the casing and adapted to telescope with the said second set of tubes, and devices associated with the counter weight ior cooperating with the said second set of tubes and bars for directing the travel of the counter weight.

6. A unit assembly to form a building construction unit for association with two superposed iioors oi a building to iorm a separable part of the building construction, said unit comprising a shaft to serve as an enclosure and a support for a dumb-waiter or the like, said shaft being made up of telescoping sections whereby the unit when telescoped can be moved into position within the Comines of a iloor of the building and when so positioned can be extended so as to pass through an opening in the ceiling and into the floor thereabove to form a dumb-waiter space enclosing and dumb-waiter supporting a shaft reaching from floor to floor, said unit also comprising dumbwaiter parts and dumb-waiter operating mechansrn associated with the sections, as to permit of telescoping and extending the sections without affecting the association, the dumb-waiter operating mechanism being positioned within and adjacent the bottom of the unit.

7. A unit assembly to form a buildinfr construction unitforassociationwith two superposed floors of a building to form aseparable part of the buildinfT construction, said unit comprising a shaft to serve as an enclosing support for a dumb-waiter or the lilrc, and the dumb-waiter operating mechonism, said shaft being made up or" telescoping enclosing sections each having an opening to give access to the space enclosed thereby, whereby the unit when telescoped can be moved into position within the confines of a floor of a building and when so positioned can be extended so as to pass through an opening in the ceiling and into the door thereabovc so as to form a dumb-waiter space enclosing and supporting shaft reaching Irom floor to fioor, with an opening at each floor so as to give access from each iloor to the enclosed space, the unit including a dumb-waiter and dumb-waiter operating mechanism. the

dumb-waiter operating mechanism being positioned below the opening in the lower section.

8. A portable unit assembly for unit association with superposed floors of a building to form a separable part thereof, said unit assembly comprising a shaft to serve as an enclosure and a support for a dumb-waiter or the like and dumbwalter parts including a dumb-waiter a counter Weight and exible means connecting the two, all supported from the shaft for operative association therewith, said shaft being made up of telescoping sections whereby the unit when telescoped can be moved into position within the confines of a floor of a building and when so positioned can be extended so as to pass through an opening in the ceiling and into the floor thereabove so as to form a shaft reaching from floor to floor adapted to receive and support dumbwaiter parts therewithin, said unit assembly also comprising means for extending and telescoping said sections and for maintaining said sections in their extended or telescoped condition, all the parts being so arranged and constructed that the operative association of the dumb-waiter parts and the shaft is not affected by the extension or telescoping of the shaft, and means for operating the dumb-waiter parts, said means including mechanism positioned adjacent the bottom of the unit assembly.

9. A portable unit assembly for unit association with superposed floors of a building to form a separable part thereof, said unit assembly comprising a shaft to serve as an enclosure and a support for a dumb-waiter or the like, said shaft being made up of telescoping sections whereby the unit when telescoped can be moved into position within the confines of a floor of a building and when so positioned can be extended so as to pass through an opening in the ceiling and into the floor thereabove so as to form a shaft reaching from floor to floor and radapted to receive and support dumb-waiter parts therewith, said unit assembly also comprising means for extending and telescoping said sections and for maintaining said sections in their extended or telescoped condition, and dumb-waiter parts including a dumb-waiter, a counter weight and flexible means connecting the top of the dumbwaiter to the top of the counter weight and the bottom of the dumb-waiter to the bottom of the counter weight, all supported from the shaft for operative association therewith, all the parts of the assembly being so arranged and constructed that the operative association of the dumbwaiter parts and the shaft is not affected by the extension or telescoping of the shaft, and means for operating the dumb-waiter'parts, said means including a driving pulley positioned adjacent the bottom of the unit assembly and about which the lower flexible connecting means passes.

10. A portable unit assembly for unit association with superposed floors of a building to form a separable part thereof, said unit assembly comprising a shaft to serve as an enclosure and a support for a dumb-waiter or the like said shaft being made up of telescoping sections whereby the unit when telescoped can be moved into position within the confines of a floor of a building and when so positioned can be extended so as to pass through an opening in the ceiling and into the floor thereabove so as to form a shaft reaching from floor to floor and adapted to receive and support dumb-waiter parts therewith, said unit assembly also comprising means for extending and telescoping said sections and for maintaining said sections in their extended or telescoped condition 'and dumb-waiter parts including a f dumb-waiter, a counter weight and flexible means connecting the top of the dumb-waiter to the top of the counter weight and the bottom of the dumb-waiter to the bottom of the counterweight all supported from the shaft for operative association therewith, all the parts of the assembly being so arranged and constructed that the operative association of the dumb-waiter parts and the shaft is not affected by the extension or telescoping of the shaft, and means for operating the dumb-waiter parts, said means including a driving pulley positioned adjacent the bottom of the unit assembly and about which the lower flexible connecting means passes, and means for tautening said lower flexible connecting means about the pulley.

JEROME HIRSHFELD. 

